Readers ask about plans for 100-plus apartments on Asheville's South Slope, and if the traffic lights on Hendersonville Road got out of whack.
Wochit

A developer still plans to put more than 100 apartments in at 185 Coxe Avenue. Construction materials are sitting on the former car lot, which has been vacant for years.(Photo: John Boyle/jboyle@citizen-times.com)

Question: Whatever became of the proposed large apartment complex that was supposed to be built at 185 Coxe Ave.? It was proposed a couple of years ago, only to be delayed then supposedly back on again. Are they moving forward with the project?

My answer: They probably just put a temporary hold on it so they can figure out some way to put a brewpub in every apartment.

Real answer: The project has been delayed, but the developer, Wilmington-based Tribute Investment & Development, says it's still working on the plan for apartments.

"We’re currently just looking at those plans, and maybe rethinking exactly what we'll do there," Matt Maynard, development manager for Tribute, said Monday. "Basically we've got the parameters of what we would build there, and those are still the same. We have approved plans, and we may move forward with those."

The 1.7-acre lot once was a car dealership, but it's been vacant for years.

Last July, Tribute said its plans called for 139 studio, one- and two-bedroom units, which would make the development the largest complex in downtown's Central Business District. The property is on the South Slope, which has seen a burst of activity in recent years, with several breweries, apartments and businesses locating there.

A developer still plans to put more than 100 apartments on this lot at 185 Coxe Avenue on the South Slope. A former car lot, the property has been vacant for years.(Photo: John Boyle/jboyle@citizen-times.com)

Maynard said their interest in the South Slope remains "really high," especially in light of the success of their other two recent apartment developments there.

"We’ve been really happy with the way the Chrysler Building filled up, and we're just finishing up 150 Coxe Avenue, and interest in that has been great so far," Maynard said.

Several of the city of Asheville building permits for the building have expired, including plans for electrical and fire prevention. But Maynard said they do plan to develop the site.

Tax records show the property changed hands in March, 2014, with South Slope Holdings LLC taking ownership, with a price tag of $2 million.

Question: Looks like the DOT road engineers have the traffic lights on Hendersonville road messed up. The traffic going south has been backed up all the way past the Blue Ridge Parkway for hours every day. Can you ask about it, please?

My answer: I just always sail right through the lights on Hendersonville Road. Red means go, right?

Real answer: "We reviewed this section of roadway and found that several traffic signals were not operating optimally due to the sidewalk contractor installing pedestrian signals," said Anna G. Henderson, division traffic engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Asheville office. "This caused the signal timing to be out of coordination. Our traffic signal technicians adjusted the timing at these traffic signals, and they are now operating normally and efficiently again."

This is the opinion of John Boyle. Contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com